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(No Model.) 5 Sheets--Sheet 1. G. F. GREEN.

ELECTRIC CASH AND PARCEL-OAR.

Patented Mai. 16,

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No. 338,150. PatemtedMam. 16, 1886.

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(No Model.) r 5 Sheets-Sheet 3;

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ELEGTRIG CASH AND PARCEL GAR. N0. 338,150. Patented Mar. 16, 1886..

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ELECTRIC CASH AND PARCEL GAR.

No, 338,150. Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

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(No Model.)

G. P. GREEN.

ELECTRIC CASH ANDPARGEL GAR.

No. 338,150. Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

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UNITED STATES GEORGE F. GREEN, OF KALAMAZOO,

PATENT OFFICE.

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,

OLIVER S. KELLY, AND SOL. J. HOUOK, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

ELECTRIC CASH AND PARCEL CAR.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,150, dated March 16, 1886.

Application filed September 14, 1883. Serial No. 106,401. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GREEN, of Kalamazoo, county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Cars for Cash and Parcels, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a car embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the car with the holding-receptacle attached thereto. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the holding receptacle. Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the manner of arranging the track in relation to the counters and cashiers desk. Fig. 6 is a side elevation illustrating the spring-board device for storing force to be employed in starting the car after it has been stopped at the cashiers desk. Fig. 7 is an end view of the same. Fig. 8 is an end view of a trip for stopping and reversing the car at a point between the ends of the track. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the track showing the connection of the same with the circuit breaking and closing device under the counter. Fig. 10 is an end View of one of the rotating armatures, showing the relation of the brush-rollers thereto. Fig. 11 shows detail views of the brush-rollers and commutators. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the adjustable brushes.

The invention has for its object the transfer of parcels or cash from one part of astore to another by means of a car propelled over a track by electrical force to any desired point, means being employed for arresting and reversing the line of travel of the car at the will of the person for the time desiring to use the same; and the invention consists in the means and the construction of the several parts thereof, of which an illustration and particular description will hereinafter be given in connection with the accompanying drawings.

A track, a a, of suitable conductingmaterial, is supported by brace-rods 1), extending from shelving 71, arranged in any suitable manner about the room in which the system is to be used and placed in any position to suit the location of the counters and the cashiers desk 0, and to be within convenient reach of the person desiring to use the same.

The car is represented as applied to a spread track; but such is not absolutely necessary, as the two rails may be placed together and insulated from each other by any well-known method.

In the present instance I have illustrated the track as arranged to serve as the electrical circuit with the brace-supports b and arch ties b, properly insulated by blocks 1/, of wood or other suitable material, where they join the tracks. I have also illustrated a car mounted upon driving-wheels f f, having non-conducting peripheries secured to their respective shafts e e, which areact-uated by two rotating electric armatures, f, which re ceive their motion from electromagnets g, that surround them. These magnets may be of any construction suitable for revolving the armatures. The batteries may be located at any conenient place in the room in which the transfer-system is operated, and may be of any wellknown and approved form suitable for the purpose; or, when convenient, a dynamo may be used. The circuit from the batteries or dynamo connects with the track a a, with the positive conducting-wire a, attached to the rail a, and the negative wire a to the rail a, or vice versa, for the purpose of transmitting the current from the rail through suitable brushes and other intermediate means to the fieldmagnets, which will then cause the arinatures and the wheels f connected therewith to revolve and propel the car in either of two directions, according as the direction of the current is changed. A switch suitable for the purpose is composed of the sliding bar i, at tached by screws or other suitable means to the under side of the frame of the car and having pivoted to one end the copper levers oo, which turn on pivots o, projecting from block o, and are pressed by springs a into contact with the points to w of the circuitwire f as they are thrown from one of said points to the other by the movement of the sliding bar, so as to reverse the circuit. The brushes d d have rods 01 d, which slide loosely through openings therefor made in the plates d d, which are secured by screws or other suitable means to some part of the car, the said rods sliding vertically and being free to swing in said plates, so as to move or play laterally, the longer rods in addition to passing through the said plate also passing through guide-arms d (1 By allowing the brushes a vertical and a lateral play the car will run more smoothly than it would if the brushes were rigid and the ends of the bristles bore perpendicularly or vertically upon the rail in running the car. If desired, the shorter arms might be extended and passedthrough similar guide-arms; but this is not necessary. The current passes from the rail through brushes d to plate (1 thence through arm (1 to wire f, thence to pivot 12, thence through lever c to point 10, thence through wire f, diagonally across to point 10', thence through wire f to field-magnet g, from thence throughwire f to' plate (1 through the same to wire f, thence to magnet g, thence through wiref to point 20', thence through wire f diagonally across to point w, thence through lever 11 and pivot 11' to wire f, from thence through plated and rollers Z Z to commutatorsg, thence through both ends of the rotating armature to lower side of commutator, through brush-rollers Z Z to plate *6, thence across through plate Z to plate 2", thence through brush-rollers mn to commutator g, from thence through brush-rollers m n and plate '6' to plate d, to plate (i thence to brush d and to track. The commutators g g are formed with breaks or gaps 7i h, arranged at right angles to each ot-her,as shown, so that the full force of the batteries may be applied to one armature at a time, while the gaps are passing the brush-rollers of the other. These rollers are located one in advance of the other, as shown, so that the circuit shall not take or burn metal from the commutator as the rollers pass from one side of the gap to the ether in reversing the circuit from one side over deadpoints to assist the car in starting,

the inner ends of the shafts having their bear ings in the journal-box i, fastened by screws or other means to some part of the car-frame, and the said coupling fitting in the forked end of saidrjournal-box. The plates 2' t of the brush-rollers are connected to the carframe by screws, and a spring i bears against the connecting plate P, so as to equalize the pressure of the said roller-brushes on the two cornmutators. XVhen the current is reversed, to move the car in the opposite direction, the

current passes through the field-magnet in the reverse direction to that already described, as will be apparent to the skilled in the art. The

car moves in the direction that the switch-bar t is moved. The hart is moved through alever, n, which is connected at its lower end to the bar and at its upper end to the connect in g-neck m of the arms at m, which are curved, as shown, and extend in opposite directions, and are supported fromabracket, 0, by means of a bolt, m", passed loosely through the neck m so as to permit the said arms and lever to rock. The arms maybe braced by rods of, and they, together with the lever stand at an inclination, as shown, so that one arm will always be higher than the other, in order that it may strike against a tripping device in whichever direction the car may be moving, so that when it strikes said tripping device the arm coming in contact therewith will be 'depressed, and the lever moved so as to slide the bar 2', and through it shift thelevers o '0, so as to change the direction of the current and reverse the movement of the car. The tripping device may be a fixed block, a, depending from one of the arch-ties at either end of the track, and arranged, as shown,one nearer one rail than the other, so that when the car moves in one direction the arm at will strike the tripper, and when in the opposite direction the arm at will strike the other tripper,and the switch-bar is moved so as to reverse the current and the direction of the movement of the car.

In order to enable asalesman to reverse the movement of the car, I place at as many points as found desirable a tripping-bar, n, pivoted, as shown in Fig. 8, to a bracket on one of the tie-braces, and operated by means of a cord, n,which will extend to within easy reaching distance of a salesman at a counter. By drawing on said rope the tripping bar will be thrown out, so that one arm of the lever n will 7 strike against it and be depressed, so as to slide the bar 2' to change the direction of the car. \Vhen the salesman releases the cord, a spring, niwill restore the tripping bar or arm to its former position, and the car can move on in the opposite direction to that in which it was moving;

In order to break the circuit and hold the car at rest atthe cashiers desk, I pivot at s s to blocks 12' at one side of the track, an inclined frame or bar, q, so as to be disconnected from the circuit in such manner that it may be tilted or rocked, the said inclined bar normally being above the track, so that as the car runs upon the same by reason of its momentum, the brushes d will be elevated above the track and the circuit thus broken, when the car will remain at rest till the cashier tilts the bar, so as to lower it far enough to permit the brushes to again come in contact with the track, and thus close the circuit for the further movement of the car. The tilting of the inclined bar is effected by the cashier pulling on the cord r, which is connected with the arm 1*, attached to the tilting bar, as shown in Fig. 7. -As soon as the cashier releases the cord r, a spring, 2, secured at one end to the block b, and bearing at its other end against the tilting bar q, restores the latter to its former position.

In order to store up power to be used in assisting to start the car after it is released by the cashier, I connect a spring-board, a, provided with a hook-catch, If, at its lower end to an upright standard, 00, attached in any IIO block 1/.

suitable manner to a post, 00, secured to the To the spring-board I pivot at 2) one end of a ratchet-bar, w, which will pass through a slot, z, made in the standard as, the teeth of the ratchet engaging with the standard at the lower edge of the slot, so that the standard acts as a pawl to hold the ratchet-bar. The ratchet-bar is preferably slotted longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 6, and into the slot one end of a lever, y, pivoted to a bracket, y, secured to the upright standard, enters, while the other end is connected by a cord, 3 to the arm 0"". Now, when the car strikes against the spring-board a, it presses the latter backward, which carries with it the ratchet-bar w, the teeth of which catch with the standard, at the bottom of the slot 2, and hold the spring-board back. At the time that the car strikes the spring-board the hook Z1 enters the hole or perforation c in the end of the car, and thus holds the car. \Vhen the car is to be returned to the track, the rope a is pulled, which lowers the bar q, and at the same time pulls on the lever 1 so as to release the'ratchet-bar from its pawl, when the rebound of the.board a will impel forward the car, the hook being thrown at such an angle by the forward movement of the board as to disengage from the car, so that the car will be started on its trip and the parts be in position to act as at first.

The car, in addition to the wheels f, attached to the armatures, is provided with wheels 1) 1), having insulated peripheries, which are mounted upon a shaft, q, journaled in slots 1' 1, formed in the framing Z of the car, so that the wheels may have a rising and falling motion to adjust themselves to any inequality in the track. Anidler, t, journaled in'a bridge, I, secured to the car-frame, bears against the axle q,and holds the axle firmly in its bearings, while at the same time permitting it to adjust itself to the risingand falling of the wheels. The car is further provided with idlers a, a", u, and 10, which rotate horizontally and serve to keep the car upon the track. The car is also provided with a carrying-receptacle composed of a reticulated basket, d, fitting within a frame, d, attached by thumb-screws d to brackets (1 which are connected by any suitable means to the frame of the car, so as to bring the basket beneath the car. This basket is suspended by means of cords e from a spring-roller, of any well-known construction, which is journaled in brackets (1", attached to the frame d. The basket is drawn down by a means of a cord, d attached tothe basket, and is restored to its position within the frame by the spring-roller. The opening in the frame at, above the basket-re ceptaele, is covered by asheet of gauze or other suitable reticulated material, d, so as to prevent the contents of the receptacle from being accidentally removed therefrom. The car having been returned to the track, as hereinbefore set forth, when a salesman wishes to use the basket he establishes the circuit by any suitable means, and when the car reaches As means suitable for establishing and breaking the current, there may be employed a copper plate, 2", secured to the under side of the counter,and a copper wire, 3;,suspended by non-conducting loops 3 from the counter beneath said copper plate 1 the said plate being connected by a wire with the track and the wire 9 with the battery. By pressing the wire against the plate the circuit will be established, and by breaking the contact the circuit will be broken. There need be only one battery used, as the copper plate will extend along the under surface of the entire counter, and so will the wire which is suspended beneath the plate. Such being the case, the pressure of the wire into contact with the copper plate at any-point throughout their length will cause the circuit to be closed at such point of contact and the'current established between the rail and battery, as is obvious to the skilled in the art.

' In addition to providing the car with the lever n and armsm m, there may be provided cords 9", which will be connected to the sliding bariat opposite ends, and will hang down from eyes at the ends of the car, so as to be within easy reach ofthe salesman. By pulling on this cord the sliding bar can be moved so as to shift the levers v '0 and change the direction of the current and the movement of the car as readily as by 'the rocking lever and tripping devices.

It is obvious that both or only one of the means may be used on the same car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1.. The combination of a track, a car to travel over the same, an electric motor con nected with the car, means for charging said motor through the track to propel the car, means remote from the car for breaking or closing the circuit to start or stop the car at will, means for reversing the direction of travel of the car,and mechanism for automatically breaking the circuit between the car and track to bring the car to a rest, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a track and car propelled over the same by electricity, of a switch for changing the direction of the current, a rocking lever connected with the car and said switch, and a tripping device for operating said lever, when the latter in the movement of the car comes in contact therewith to shift the switch, and thereby reverse the direction of travel of the car,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a track, a car to travel over the same, and an electric motor connected with said car, of the perforated plate and the rods having a vertical and lateral play in the perforations of the plate and formed with brushes at their lower ends to come in contact with the rails, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the track, the car traveling over the same, the electric engine, the commutators thereof, formed with gaps atright angles to each other, as set forth, the brush-rollers bearing on said commutators 011 opposite sides of the gaps,as described, means for transmitting the current through the brush to the engine, and a switch to change the direction of the current to reverse the line of travel of the car, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the track, a recoil device adapted to be moved by a car striking it, means for holding said device when so moved by the car, and means for releasing said device when the car is to be reversed in its movement, whereby the power stored by the car moving said device is utilized to impart momentum to the car on the release of said device, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a track and a car propelled over the same by electricity, of a device for breaking circuit between the car and track, a recoil device for stopping the movement of the car, means for holding said recoil device to the position moved by the car, and means for closing circuit between the car and track and releasing the recoil device to utilize the recoil of said device in propelling the car, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the track and a car propelled over the same by electricity, of

8. The combination of the track, the springboard, the slotted standard, the ratchet-bar pivoted to the spring-board and passed through the slot of the standard, the lever engaging with the rack-bar, and means for operating said lever to release the ratchet-bar from the standard, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the track, the springboard, the slotted standard, the ratchet-bar pivoted to the spring-board and passed through the slot of the standard, the lever engaging with the rack-bar, the tilting frame, and the arm connected with said frame and the said leverfor lowering the frame and releasing the spring-board, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the track, the car, the car-axle adjustable to conform to irregularities in the track, and the idler holding said axle in its bearings, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the track, the car to travel over the same, the electric motor connected to the car, the switch for changing the direction of the current through the motor, the swinging lever connected with the switch and having the curved arms in different vertical planes and extending in opposite directions, and the trips at or near each end of the track adapted to move said arms to reverse the line of travel of the car, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the car, of the frame supported beneath the car, the gauze within the frame, the spring-actuated roller, and the basket suspended from the roller under the gauze in the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand this 24th day of August, 1883.

' GEORGE E. GREEN.

Witnesses:

HENRY MILLWARD, G. V. FRY. 

